


Sanctuary

by Lady_Valtieri



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic, Domestic Violence, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Minor Injuries, Protectiveness, Slow Burn, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 17:24:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20295229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Valtieri/pseuds/Lady_Valtieri
Summary: Julian finds himself caught up in the aftermath of a violent argument between the Count and his lover.





	Sanctuary

**Author's Note:**

> AN: This is just a oneshot that was floating around in my head for a while; not to be considered canon for my apprentice. If you’d like, hit me up on tumblr @littlemisstrancy if you want to give me any feedback, ideas, or just plain chat about this beautiful game. I hope you enjoy. (Also props to anyone who spots the 'Hamilton' and 'Phantom of the Opera' references.)

Julian awoke to a frantic pounding that rocked through his skull, and after several moments of trying to escape the grasp of sleep, he realised suddenly that it was the door. He shot up so fast it made his head spin, and one look at the window told him that the storm was still raging outside. The pounding continued, and a flash of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating his chambers. Scurrying out of bed, Julian prayed to any and all possible deities that it wasn’t the Count; he didn’t think he could spend one more second in the presence of the man. He pulled on his trousers briskly, but forewent a shirt in his haste. Not that it mattered, hopefully he could poke his head around the door, answer whatever query the person had, and return to the sweet embrace of sleep. Julian braced himself for the worst and took ahold of the golden door handle. He opened it slowly, peering round. 

He hadn’t expected the sight that he was met with. 

Another flash of lightning lit up her image - silver hair a mess, golden eyes red and weary, and tears staining her face. One of her hands cupped her cheek. He whispered her name, shocked, 

“ _ Raeyth?”  _

He had never seen the magician like this. She was usually so… confident and strong  _ and amazing and beauti- _

Julian cut off his own thoughts before they could get away from him. 

“Raeyth, what’s wrong?” He murmured, concerned. She sniffled in response, bringing her other hand to her eyes and rubbing. When she spoke, her voice was cracked and fractured, like a damaged vase. 

“Can I come in?” 

Juliam immediately froze. He blinked. A thousand emotions rushed through him at once; of course, he’d thought about having Raeyth in his room a hundred times, but in much nicer circumstances. And what would  _ Lucio  _ say? Everyone knew about the relationship between the Count and his favourite witch - hell, Julian and been around since the  _ beginning,  _ all those years ago when Raeyth was still a street performer and Lucio and himself were travelling companions. He wondered if Lucio would have him killed for having her in his rooms - the Count had done worse to people who had done less. 

But when Julian looked at her, a woman who was usually so composed and fiery… to see her like this, it broke his heart. So he pulled the door open wider, and ushered her inside. 

As soon as she was in his room, and safe from the outside world, she crumpled, her shoulders shaking. Julian quickly locked the door - he doubted that the last thing Raeyth wanted was to be disturbed - and briskly made his way over to her. In all honesty, he wasn’t quite sure what to do. His hands fidgeted restlessly at his sides. Should he touch her? Talk to her? 

“I’m sorry to bother you, Julian.” 

She spoke so softly he almost didn’t hear her. 

“I just...I didn’t…” Her voice trailed off, and she turned to face him. “I didn’t know where else to go. Who else to turn to.” 

The moment she had turned, Julian had ceased hearing her words, for he became intently focused on the mark that adorned her cheek. The skin was bright red, and a few scratches laid beneath her eye. All anxiety seemingly forgotten, Julian slipped cleanly into the role of doctor, taking his hands and gently cradling Reayth’s face. He tilted her head to the side, and watched as she grimaced, her eyes welling with tears again - but she didn’t pull away. 

“What is this?” 

Raeyth reached up to place her left hand atop Julain’s arm. And that’s when he noticed. 

She wasn’t wearing her ring. 

The ring that had been on her finger for almost five years, the ring that marked her as Lucio’s. She never took it off, even when bathing. And yet now, it was nowhere to be seen. And everything fell into place. 

Julian should've known immediately what had her so upset - there was only one thing, or one  _ person _ , who could affect her emotions so greatly. And suddenly, the mark on her cheek made his blood boil. 

“ _ Lucio,”  _ he hissed out, grinding his teeth. “Did he do this?” His fury grew. “Did he  _ hit _ you?” 

Raeyth’s silence was all the answer he needed. 

He could feel the anger burning in his veins. It took all the willpower he had not to storm out of the room and make his way to Lucio’s quarters. But the next thing he knew, Raeyth slipped from his grasp and threw her arms around him. She began to shake again. 

Julian balked, blinking, before his senses returned to him. Slowly, so as not to catch her by surprise, he lowered his hands, and gently placed them around her. When she didn’t flinch away, he supposed that he had done the right thing. 

He held her as she cried, as she shook, and with every jolt of her shoulders, every shaky gasp that left her, he felt his hatred grow. How  _ dare  _ he. How dare that  _ bastard _ do this to her, this angel, this wonderful,  _ wonderful _ woman. His mind spun, thinking of a million different ways he could kill the man - but that was for the morning. He would deal with Lucio when the sun rose; for now, Julian’s biggest concern was Raeyth. 

Carefully, Julian slightly tightened his grasp on her, pulling her closer. He held her, and whispered to her in the dark, “It’s okay, it’s alright.” And again, “You’re safe, it’s okay.” And finally, “I’m here.” 

Slowly, she began to recover - her breaths became deeper, and her sobs lessened. Until at last, she spoke, her voice hoarse.  “I was...I was so,” she snifled, “I was so _fucking _stupid.” 

Julian frowned. 

“What makes you say that?” 

“Because I was foolish enough to think that Lucio saw me as anything other than a  _ whore  _ to warm his bed.” 

The doctor slowly pulled back, but still kept Raeyth in his arms. 

“What  _ happened, _ Raeyth?” 

She didn’t answer, and instead turned to look at the door, a flash of fear crossing her eyes. It was then that Julian once again ended up focused on the mark upon her cheek. 

“Come,” he said, relaxing his grip and taking her hands in his, before walking her towards the bed. “Let me take a look at that,” he nodded towards her cheek. Raeyth caught his gaze, quickly flitting her eyes towards the door again. 

“Did you lock it?” 

“Yes.” 

Still, she hesitated. 

“Raeyth, you’re safe here. And even…” Julian took a deep breath, “And even if he  _ does  _ come looking, I won’t let him hurt you again. I won’t let him find you.” 

That seemed to convince her, and Raeyth slowly turned her head back to him, following him to the bed. He sat her down, and then went about the room, gathering bits and pieces. He took a cloth and dipped it into his washbowl, dampening it. When he returned to the bed, he saw that her tears had almost stopped, save for a few droplets that ran freely down her cheek. Without thinking, Julian took his thumb and wiped the wetness from her skin. She caught his gaze for a moment, and he quickly righted himself, slipping back into his professional mask. He sat down on the bed gingerly, his long limbs fitting awkwardly, but still maintaining a respectful distance between himself and Raeyth. 

“Right,” he said, taking the damp cloth and holding it up, “Let’s try this…” 

~~~

It only took a short while to calm Raeyth’s inflamed skin, and luckily there were no cuts; a few scratches from jagged nails, yes - but nothing too serious. Julian was thankful that in his rage, Lucio hadn’t hit her with his prosthetic. That would’ve been a completely different situation entirely. There was potential for some bruising, but Julian had done all that he could. Except for killing the Count. That was next on his list. 

Raeyth, however, had been quiet for the duration of Julian’s ‘check-up’. She had winced a few times, the skin and tissue still sensitive, but aside from that she had been the perfect patient - Julian just wished that the specifics of their situation had been different. 

“So…” he began, beginning to pack his supplies away, “Would you like to talk about… well…” he drifted off. Julian bit his lip, turning away. When he turned back, his eyes were sharp. “What  _ happened,  _ Raeyth?” 

The magician looked at him with a stare that was exhausted and weary. 

“He’s marrying Nadia.” 

Julian almost dropped his kit. 

“ _ What?”  _

Raeyth shifted, brushing her hair behind her ear. Her eyes looked anywhere but him. “They got drunk, the other night, after that party?” Julian nodded, remembering the night clearly. “I wasn’t in the mood that night, so I went to bed early, and I can only guess that he got bored and ended up drinking with her. And he proposed to her.” 

“And she said  _ yes?”  _

“Apparently so. Agreed that it was the best option, politically, for the both of them.” 

And with that Raeyth went quiet. Then, a few moments later, tears began to form again. “He told me that it was a strategic move, that it would increase our standing in Praka.” Her eyes turned cold. “Funnily enough, I didn’t care.” 

Julian fumbled for words, coming up with nothing. Raeyth continued in his silence. 

“Apparently, I should’ve been more appreciative of the fact that I was still going to be his mistress - apparently I shouldn’t have cared that he would be bound to another woman. I was being  _ foolish _ and  _ immature _ .”

Julian huffed, “Coming from Lucio.” 

“That’s exactly what I said. And I got angry, and told him I was going to leave, and then I said-” But she halted in her words, looking away - looking anywhere but him. Julian waited. When she didn’t continue, he made the decision to probe. 

“What did you say?” 

Raeyth lowered her eyes, taking a deep breathe. When she exhaled, she glanced up at him from beneath dense eyelashes, and Julian found himself breathless under her gaze. 

“I told him that  _ you _ would never do this to me.” 

Julian felt his heart stop. 

He always knew that the Count had been jealous - hell, ever since the two of them had met Raeyth, Julian had been aware that Lucio saw him as competition. And perhaps he was right too - the doctor knew he had feelings for the magician, of some sort - he had since he laid eyes on her. But Lucio had been more confident, and cocky, and whilst Julian had hid in the shadows, unsure of what to say or do, the older man had swept in and stolen Raeyth away. He’d swept her off of her feet with jewels, and silks, and things that Julian could never afford. And he, being the better man, had let Lucio have her, because she seemed happy, and that’s all that Julian wanted. At least he kept her in his life that way. 

However, he never imagined that Lucio’s jealousy ran this deep, was  _ this  _ strong that he would do something like this to the woman he claimed to love. It disgusted him. It made his stomach uneasy, a turmoil of emotions spinning around inside of him. 

Suddenly, there was a mighty knock at the door, followed by a voice that was so grating it could only belong to one person. 

“Jules! Open up, now!” 

Raeyth froze. Julian’s eyes went wide.

_ Lucio. _

The door banged again, “Wake up, Jules! And open this blasted door!” 

Without thinking, Julian grabbed Raeyth by the hand, and lifted the fabric that covered the sides of his bed; underneath was a crawlspace, just tall enough and wide enough for one person. The magician met his eyes, understanding in her stare, but also a plead. 

_ Don’t let him find me. _

_ I won’t. I’d sooner die,  _ Julian’s gaze answered. 

Raeyth dropped to her knees and shifted under the bed, and Julian dropped the fabric back in its place, making sure she was hidden and obscured from view. When he was confident that was the case, he made his way to the door, running his hands messily through his hair in an attempt to imitate a sudden awakening. He yawned for extra measure, unlocking the door as he did so, and slowly looked out into the corridor. 

Lucio stood before him, balancing his weight against the door, and obviously drunk. His hair was a mess, his makeup smeared, and his clothes disheveled. He looked like a wreck.  _ Good,  _ Julian thought.  _ He deserves to look worse. A black eye and a split lip would be very complimentary.  _ The temptation was astounding. 

“What do you want,  _ Lucio _ ?” He had to try his damned best to hide the anger from his words. 

The count fixed him with a fiery stare, his lip curled. 

“Have you seen her?” 

Julian blinked innocently. 

“Who?” 

Lucio’s eyes narrowed. 

“Raeyth.” 

“Ah, no, I’m afraid I haven’t. Why?” Julian cocked a brow, “Isn’t she with you?” 

He watched Lucio’s face, saw the way his brows furrowed. The Count tapped his fingers against the wall. 

“No,” his voice was tired. “No, she isn’t with me.” 

“Oh.”

A beat of silence. Julian feigned ignorance. “Why not?” 

“We had...We had an argument.” Lucio suddenly seemed much more interested in the floor than the doctor. “I… I did something terrible,  _ Jules. _ ” There was a sorrow in his voice. “I did something I can never take back. God, I  _ hurt  _ her.” Julian could hear the guilt in his words, watched as the Count crumpled. “I’m going to look for her. But if you see her, can you tell her I want to talk? I know she hates me now, but....” Lucio looked directly at Julian. “I want to tell her I’m sorry.” 

Julian’s mind went blank. 

... _ Sorry? _

_ He was  _ ** _SORRY?! _ **

Julian wanted to strangle the man. Worse, he wanted to kill him. How  _ dare  _ he. Lucio should've been on his knees, begging,  _ screaming  _ for Raeyth’s forgiveness. He should’ve been offering every gift imaginable, crying for her to even speak to him. But all this  _ pathetic  _ excuse for a man could offer was a simple,  _ fucking, sorry. _

Julian realised he needed to close the door before he did something drastic. 

“I’ll be sure to do that. Goodnight.” And he closed the door in the Count’s face. 

He stood alone for several moments, and didn’t realise that he was shaking until a hand placed itself on his shoulder. Julian turned to see Raeyth, who had evidently slipped out from beneath the bed without him hearing, and watched as she carefully took his hands in hers and unfurled the fists he didn’t even realise he was making. He took note of how delicate her hands were, with long elegant fingers. They were no match for the length of his own digits, but Julian liked that - he liked how her hand fit in his, especially when he curled his fingers around her own. Raeyth looked up at him, a small and sad smile on her face, but her eyes were warm. 

“Thank you, Julian.” 

Julian sighed in return, nodding.  “Anytime, Raeyth.” _Anything. I would do anything for you._

He observed as she glanced around, gnawing at her lip.    


“I hate to ask this Julian, but-” 

“Yes.” 

She snapped back to him, her eyes wide. 

“What?” 

“Yes, you can stay here for the night. That’s what you were going to ask, isn’t it?” 

Raeyth’s eyes widened, evidently shocked. 

“I was going to ask if I could borrow you coat, to walk back home. It’s still raining.” 

_ Ah.  _ Maybe he’d been a bit  _ too _ presumptuous. 

“Raeyth, you can’t go out in this.” He tightened his grip on her hands. “Stay.” 

“If he finds out… Julian, I can’t put you at risk like that. You know… well, you  _ know  _ what he’s capable of.” 

“I don’t care.”  _ He couldn’t do anything that would hurt me more than the sight of you upset.  _ He held her hands tightly, giving her what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. “You can’t go back to the shop now - it’s late, and he’s looking for you. I’d sleep better knowing you were safe.”

She looked baffled, and for a few moments Julian was worried that he had overstepped. But then she smiled, a bit wider this time, and her eyes became gentle.  _ Good. He liked seeing her smile. He wanted her to be happy, forever.  _ She glanced around, her eyes settling on the chaise longue that sat tucked away in the corner. Nodding towards it, she spoke, ‘I’ll make myself comfortable, then.” 

Julian followed her gaze, and his eyes widened almost comically. “What?” He shook his head fiercely, “No, no, not at all. I won’t have that.” He briskly dropped her hands and strode over to the bed, removing one of his pillows. “After tonight, you need a good rest.” He made his way over to the chaise, retrieving a blanket as he went. “You’ll take the bed.” 

“Julian, I-” 

He cut her off with a gentle gaze and a soft voice.

“Allow me to be a gentleman, Raeyth - I don’t often get the chance.” 

At that, he could’ve sworn he saw her grin, and his heart fluttered.  “If you’re certain.” 

“I am.” 

Julian finished laying his make-shift bedding on the chaise, and turned back to face Raeyth. When he spun, he almost fell backwards, for he hadn’t been expecting the magician to be standing so very close. She caught his eyes with hers, and he wondered what she was thinking - he could see the gears in her head spinning.  _ Thinking, always thinking _ . Always busy. Always  _ brilliant.  _ Then, without warning, she reached around gently to wrap her arms about his slim waist, and gave him a firm hug. It felt nice, to have her arms around him. Julian felt like he could stay there forever. In fact, distracted as he was by her mere presence, he almost missed her softly spoken words of,

“Thank you, Julian.” 

And when she drew back and smiled at him, Julian would’ve sworn right then and there that this was what heaven was. As the two of them laid to rest for the remainder of the night, at opposite ends of the room, Julian’s own mind began to whir in the dark. And as he listened to her peaceful breaths ( _ no-one will hurt her here, she’s safe _ ), Julian came to the realisation that he had known all along - that he loved her, and he was well and truly, royally,  _ fucked _ . 


End file.
